Zongwu?
Zhu Yongding was in a daze and did not react for a while.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Huixuan continued to explain.
"So I'm telling you, these civil servants are not easy to mess with. They are no better than they were when the country was founded. No matter whether they are the clan kings or the noble military generals, they are no better than these civil servants in the court!"
"They all say that the clan is domineering, but in fact, these civil servants are the real ones who will take revenge!"
"Recently, the capital has been in turmoil. After news of Yi Fan's incident came out, His Majesty was furious and summoned all ministers to discuss it. At that time, some ministers proposed to cut off Yi Fan's fiefdom and lower it into a high wall to serve as a warning to others. .”
"But out of consideration for the stability of the clan, His Majesty rejected this proposal and just ordered you and your son to come to Beijing to reprimand. However, the previous time there was a plot to assassinate the ministers, and now they have come out of the clan to attack the imperial officials. Naturally, these civil servants will not Be willing.”
"On the matter of ceremony, they took advantage of the power of rectifying the army and beheaded the dignified marquis in public. How can they swallow their anger this time?"
"So this time, they targeted Zong Wu!"
Zhu Huixuan silently apologized to Mr. Hu in his heart, and said to Zhu Yongyi with the thought that he would die as a fellow Taoist but not as a poor Taoist.
"You are far away in Henan Prefecture, so you don't know that after the Yifan Incident, although it seemed to end with His Majesty's decree calling you and his son to the capital, the Rites Department, in conjunction with several other yamen, has already begun to brew the plan for Zongfan. reform."
"Some time ago, some officials came to speak to His Majesty, saying, 'Since ancient times, no law has been prepared before Cheng Zhou. The fifth generation of the Zhou family was exempted. Yan Hui had nothing to do with him, and Qing asked about it. This king used nobles to seize the bride, and it was not in his place. It has to be stopped, and the utmost benevolence and righteousness are exhausted...'"
"They also say that our court treats the clan too leniently. If things go on like this, it will become a serious problem for the court, and the clan must be reformed. Although there are no specific measures, Hu Xi from the Ministry of Rites will run to the palace whenever he has nothing to do these days. It’s clear that I want to take an important role in Zong affairs.”
What is learning and applying while living? What is learning now and selling now?
Since His Majesty said there is this memorial, it means there is! Your Majesty said that it was the Ministry of Rites that proposed the reform of the sect, which means the Ministry of Rites wanted to reform the sect!
Prince Min never lies, he always tells the truth.
However, if Hu Hui heard his "truth", he would definitely curse him.
However, Zhu Huixuan could no longer care about this.
During the vassal reform, he and the Ministry of Rites both claimed the task. Compared to the Ministry of Rites, his position was actually more difficult.
Although the reform direction that the Ministry of Rites is responsible for is more radical, as a member of the feudal clan, it is actually difficult for him to stand on the opposite side of the clan on this matter.
When a person betrays his own group, he is not far from destruction.
Don't forget, King Xiang is still confined in the Tenth Prince's Mansion to think about his mistakes. There is no crime or clear purpose. He is just imprisoned in the mansion, confused.
However, after such a long time, no one cared about when he would be released.
Why?
Offending the emperor, siding with the emperor, and failing in political struggles are all symptoms.
The deepest reason is that he betrayed the clan.
Under the guidance of all parties, intentionally or unintentionally, he gradually ruined the "virtuous reputation" he had accumulated over the years and offended many members of his clan.
In order to compete for power, the commotion in front of Prince Min's palace completely chilled the hearts of all the clans.
When the weather is calm, nothing happens.
However, he also offended the emperor. Under the guidance of thoughtful people, the clans' dissatisfaction with him was vented through the mouths of the clan's disciples. Not only did King Xiang end up in despair, but more importantly, he lost the last layer of protection. symbol.
If other kings, even a vassal king as arrogant and domineering as King Yi, committed many crimes, there would always be a clan member who would come forward to intercede for any crime.
At the worst, there will be elders in the clan who will ask the emperor to take care of family ties and to be lenient or at least to deal with it fairly.
This is of course not because of the deep friendship between the clans, but because they are all clan relatives, not only connected by blood, but also connected by the same spirit.
To put it bluntly, everyone is a member of the clan, and no one has done anything to bully the people or be arrogant and domineering. To intercede with others is to intercede with your future self, so they naturally have a tacit understanding.
But what needs to be understood is that there is no actual connection of interests between the clans. What maintains the relationship between them is precisely the so-called blood relationship.
Therefore, the biggest mistake King Xiang made was that he offended the late King Lao Min. The law could not help him with this mistake, but it hurt people's hearts!
The clan can tolerate an arrogant and domineering vassal king who commits many evil deeds, because no matter how evil he does, nothing can be done to them.
However, they will not tolerate a clan that is ruthless and does not even care about blood and family ties, because this is their foundation.
The love of family is the greatest dharma between clans!
King Xiang violated this taboo, so when he was in trouble, no one interceded on his behalf, and no one even mentioned his name again.
At this thought, Zhu Huixun's thoughts drifted a little far away.
Having said that, the emperor's method of dealing with Prince Xiang was ruthless enough.
The reason why King Xiang dared to do this in the first place was because he was determined. From a legal perspective, the emperor could not do anything to him. The most he could do was to drive him back to his fiefdom. This result was still acceptable in the end.
But who would have thought that the emperor would not tell him anything about the crime at all, and would just let him think about his mistakes in the Tenth Prince's Mansion, without telling him a time limit or what crime he would be convicted of.
Since there is no conviction, there is no need to talk about punishment. We have to think about this mistake all the time.
This method is actually very easy to crack, because it is inherently illegal.
As long as a member of the vassal clan stood up and asked how King Xiang would deal with it, the emperor would definitely respond, and naturally he would not be so hung up.
but……
At least now, most of the vassal kings everywhere do not have the slightest sympathy for Prince Xiang's current situation, so naturally no one comes forward.
If there is, then it can only be the few vassal kings from the Renzong lineage. However, perhaps because they are afraid of the emperor, King Zheng and King Jing of the Renzong lineage who are still alive have not yet been here. Take a stance on this matter.
Therefore, the treatment of King Xiang can only be postponed for the time being...
This is the price of betraying your own group!
As the instigator of the King Xiang incident, Zhu Huixuan naturally had a deeper understanding of this.
Therefore, the difficulty of this matter is that once the reform is initiated, it will inevitably be the collective interests of the clan and vassal kings that are harmed.
Although Zhu Huixuan has to undertake these few things, in a sense, they are actually beneficial to the long-term development of the clan.
However, since it is a reform, there will definitely be a price to pay. At least for now, it will definitely affect the interests of some clan lords who are content with the status quo.
In this way, as the person who was at the forefront, Zhu Huixuan himself would inevitably be affected.
How to keep himself in a safe position as much as possible while ensuring that he can complete the errands entrusted by the emperor depends on Zhu Huixuan's own methods.
Therefore, at this time, Zhu Huixuan no longer cared about whether he would offend Hu Hui.
Not to mention him and Zhu Yongyi, the possibility that Hu Hui knew about it was very small. Even if the news did spread, Hu Hui, an old fox, wouldn't be too angry because of his character.
At most, when the time comes, Zhu Huixuan can help Zong Wu more and find an opportunity to repay the favor.
During this vassal reform, both sides of them had to bear a lot of pressure. Didn't Hu Hui trick the Ministry of Revenue into it without even saying hello?
Since the difficulty is here, it is natural for the Eight Immortals to cross the sea and show their magical powers. As long as the matter can be accomplished, we will talk about the rest later.
"Hu Ming?"
Hearing this name, Zhu Yongding frowned, and he really paid attention to it.
Although he is not often in the capital, he also knows that Hu Shangshu is a veteran of several dynasties and has considerable strength and prestige in the court.
If he was eyeing Zong Wu, it would indeed be troublesome.
After going through the conversation just now in his mind, Zhu Yongding felt vaguely that he had a clear understanding. Thinking of what happened when he entered Beijing, he finally had a flash of inspiration and said.
"So, these civil servants have been holding back their energy for a long time and want to make a big fuss in the affairs of the clan. No wonder His Majesty is so angry this time and refuses to even see our father and son. But it turns out that they are all these treacherous ministers. You deserve to be damned if you stir up trouble in His Majesty’s ears!”
Under Zhu Huixuan's overt and covert guidance, Zhu Yongyi finally realized his bad "situation".
As the saying goes, the first bird is shot, and now he is the "first bird".
Originally, he thought that even if the emperor summoned him to the capital, the most he could do would be to give him a scolding.
But who would have thought that the civil servants in the capital had laid such a trap long ago, just waiting for him to step in.
It's a pity that he was ignorant and didn't even meet the emperor, so he received such a punishment in vain, and it might even lead to more serious consequences.
At this point, Prince Yi finally understood what it means to have no honest ministers in the government, to have evil in his heart, to alienate clan members, and to suffer injustice.
Your Majesty, Taizu, do not deceive me!
It's a pity that if the court is like this, the kings of the vassals and towns no longer have the ability to train their troops and root out the traitors.
With a sigh in his heart, Zhu Yongding asked with his last glimmer of hope.
"Brother Wang, last time I entered the court, I found that Your Majesty was also a sensible person who cared about the clan. Could it be said that if they want to target the vassal king, Your Majesty should just let them go?"
After hearing this, Zhu Huixuan sighed and said.
"I have been urging Your Majesty to do so these days, but..."
At this point, Zhu Huixuan stopped, as if there was something unspeakable.
This time, Zhu Yongyi felt a little strange.
When he just mentioned the complicated situation of the imperial court and even blatantly scolded Hu Hui, Zhu Huixuan only hesitated slightly, but he was never so embarrassed.
Therefore, Zhu Yongyi couldn't help but ask.
"but what……"
"well……"
With a heavy sigh, Zhu Huixuan hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke.
"There are some things that I can't say, but you have to know that life as a brother in this capital is actually not easy."
Hearing this, Zhu Yongding was also a little surprised and asked.
"how come?"
"When I came to the capital last time, His Majesty was very courteous to Uncle Wang and granted him the post of Dazongzheng. I heard that later on, His Majesty also personally arranged for your son to marry a member of Jing'an Bo's family. Daughter?"
"What's more, now that Brother Wang is still in charge of the affairs of the clan, is it possible that there is still someone in the capital who dares to provoke you?"
Facing King Yi whose IQ suddenly went up, Zhu Huixun's body froze.
But in the end, this Prince Min was a thoughtful man. He quickly thought of a way to say it, sighed and said.
"Not Your Majesty, well, how should I put it..."
Seeing Zhu Huixuan hesitating, he looked embarrassed.
Zhu Yongbing was even more confused and asked.
"Brother Wang, you and I are both family members. Is there anything we can't say? Don't worry, there are no other people here. I guarantee that no one else will know about our conversation!"
Seeing this situation, Zhu Huixuan hesitated for a moment, and finally reluctantly said.
"In this case, I will not mince words. This, alas, you are right. Your Majesty does have great trust in Prince Min's Mansion. However, this is just for the sake of my father and for pointing out that he is in charge of the sect. "
"Yin Xi's marriage was actually something that the old man specially asked for when he had a premonition that the end was coming. The purpose was to prevent the Min Palace from being bullied by others a hundred years later. But after all, there are some things that cannot be stopped... "
Unlike the government affairs in the imperial court, this was considered a family matter. Therefore, after Zhu Yongding thought about it for a while, he understood a little bit.
However, after realizing it, his expression suddenly became a little strange and he asked.
"Brother Wang, you mean...Prince Xiang?"
Zhu Huixuan nodded and said.
"In fact, there were clues to this matter from the beginning. Do you still remember that His Majesty ordered my father to be the Great Zongzheng, and also ordered King Xiang to be the Zuo Zongren to assist in the management of the clan affairs?"
"Of course I remember!"
So, Zhu Huixuan continued.
"My father's health was not good, so after the establishment of the Zongxue, he stopped taking care of things. Prince Xiang is basically in charge of many affairs."
"As time went by, King Xiang began to want the position of Da Zongzheng. However, his father was still there and he did not dare to offend, so he kept waiting for the opportunity."
"It is precisely for this reason that my father was afraid that after his death, Prince Min's palace would be embarrassed, so he asked His Majesty for this marriage."
"But I never thought about it, or..."
Zhu Huixun didn't say the next words, but Zhu Yongyi naturally knew what he was referring to. The incident of King Xiang making a big fuss in front of King Lao Min's soul had long been a turmoil. knew.
After a brief pause, Zhu Huixuan continued.
"Your Majesty treats me in Prince Min's Palace based on seniority and age, so he treats me with utmost courtesy. In Prince Xiang's Palace, I value my uncles and nephews. Normally, I don't seem to have any preference, but after my father's death, I have no preference for the position of Da Zongzheng. , His Majesty seemed a little hesitant."
"Originally, King Xiang and I, one of whom was the Da Zongzheng, and the other was the Zuo Zongren, discussed the matter together. But as a result, there was such a commotion that King Xiang beat him up in the palace, saying that I had beaten him, so His Majesty felt that I was too much. He was too reckless and naturally got the position of Da Zongzheng."
"Actually, I don't care about the post of Da Zongzheng. Your Majesty has your Majesty's difficulties. Now that they have been dealt with, I feel that the matter is over. But Yinqi, as well as Cheng Kuo in Dai Wang's Mansion, these few The child insisted on asking for an explanation. At that time, alas, in the end, I made a lot of noise outside the Tenth Prince's Palace and publicized the matter to everyone in the clan. In the end, King Xiang was grounded. However, His Majesty's Bian was also very dissatisfied, feeling that this was a disgrace to the court and the royal family."
"Although I am in charge of the affairs of the clan now, His Majesty does not want to see you, and Prince Xiang has been offended. It is really difficult to do..."
(End of chapter)
